Safely Cook and Store Other Holiday Meats This Christmas

Safety Tips for Cooking Other Holiday Meats

Christmas is almost upon us, and for many, that means sitting down for a holiday meal as a family.

We recently shared tips from the Clemson University Home and Garden Information Center about thawing, cooking and storing turkey properly, to avoid foodborne illnesses at this time of year.

But the holiday meals of lots of families will showcase other kinds of holiday meats, from ham, lamb and rib roasts to wild game such as ducks, venison and pheasant.

The HGIC has prepared a fact sheet that covers safely cooking and storing these meats and more, to ensure the aftermath of your holiday feast doesn't involve multiple trips to the bathroom or a trip to the hospital.

The USDA does not recommend cooking meat and poultry at oven temperatures lower than 325 °F because these foods could remain in the “Danger Zone” (temperatures of 40 °F to 140 °F) too long.

Bacteria which may be present on these foods multiply rapidly at these temperatures.

Always use a food thermometer when cooking meat and poultry to determine “doneness”. Cook raw beef, lamb, pork and veal steaks, roasts and chops to a minimum internal temperature of 145 °F.

Cook all poultry and wild game to a minimum internal temperature of 165 °F.

The fact sheet includes a table for roasting a wide variety of holiday meets, including cooking times and internal temperatures.

They've also got tips for storing and eating leftovers. First and foremost, “When in doubt, throw it out!”

The Other Holiday Meats Fact Sheet can be found here.